AUTHOR'S NOTES: This story seems to be flowing together rather well, and hopefully I'll actually manage to finish this in a relatively short time. Unlike other fics of mine (cough "Misato's Revenge" cough). Again, I apologize for my lack of knowledge regarding medicine and how emergency crews react in Japan as compared to America.

As always, thanks to everyone who reviewed–you know who you are! In a side note to Ganheim, I didn't put in translation notes because I thought it might interrupt the flow of the story. Rather than do so, I tried to cut down on Japanese terms that people might not know–though I've found most Inu-fans are surprisingly knowledgeable about such things. Also, I used Kilala rather than Kirara because that is the usage I'm most familiar with, being an Adult Swimmer. It also seems to roll off gaijin tongues easier, or at least mine. But thanks for pointing it out nonetheless; I didn't even think about it.

And finally, a tip of the Banpei Funny Hat to Cowboy Beboper and Grimtash Tim for helping out on what a mother would do when confronted with the bleeding body of her only daughter, and to the writers at the Hero in the 21st Century website for inspiration.

I do not own Inuyasha and Company, but I would be willing to trade Ricky Williams and a first-round draft pick for him.

MUSIC DEPARTMENT: I must have listened to "The Courier" from Last of the Mohicans about eighty times writing the first part of this chapter. Those of you who have seen the movie will realize why. Just imagine Sango as Hawkeye (Daniel Day-Lewis' character) and you should get the homage off the bat. "Run Like the Wind" by Christopher Cross is where I got the title, and to continue my shill for Howard Shore, "The Bridge at Khazad Dum" from Lord of the Rings works pretty well too.

CHAPTER THREE: RUN LIKE THE WIND

Warriors, we'd rather die

With honor than to live with shame

In our hands we hold the future

Carry on

In our hearts eternally

We keep the flame burning.

–Hammerfall, "Keep the Flame Burning"

"Are you ready?" Miroku asked.

Inuyasha looked down at the girl in his arms. Kagome was still unconscious, her face drawn and deathly pale. Kaede had cleaned the blood from her lips and bandaged her ribs as best she could, but her breath was still rapid and ragged, as one lung tried to do the work for two. That, Kaede told him, was not the problem: the problem was that Kagome was bleeding inside. More pinkish blood appeared on her lips, and Inuyasha found himself praying to whatever kami would hear him that Kagome would not choke on her own blood. Her blouse and underthings had been cut away, and she wore a loose kimono. Even in the heat, Kagome's skin was chilled.

"Yeah," Inuyasha answered simply. He looked back at Kaede, Sango, and Ayane, sitting on the hill of the shrine, bows out and ready, arrows plunged into the ground before them for easy reloading. Sango had decided that three bows were better than two, and even if she never hit anyone, she could at least keep their heads down. That was not what bothered Inuyasha. Most of his life, he had gotten along mostly on his own, never depending on anyone but himself, by necessity and choice. He had come to value others' opinions and skills–namely Kagome's spirit, Miroku's brains, and Sango's courage–but this time, he would have to also have to depend on a complete stranger and the sister of the woman who had once practically killed him. There would be no stopping, Inuyasha knew: if he stopped to fight, even for a moment, the ronin would overwhelm him, Tetsusaiga or not. Nor could he simply leap over their heads, because the archers could pick him off, and the landing might make Kagome's wounds even worse.

Miroku bent down and kissed Kagome's forehead, then squeezed Inuyasha's shoulder. "I will pray for both of you, my friend." The hanyou and the houshi shared a moment's look, each knowing this might be the only time either ever saw the other again.

"Wait!" Shippo ran up to them. He reached up and untied the bow in his hair, then gently closed one of Kagome's hands around it. "Take care of her, Inuyasha, or...or I'll kick your ass!"

"I'll hold you to it, squirt," Inuyasha grinned, though the smile never made it to his eyes. "See you again." And before he said something stupid, Inuyasha started running.

Miroku waited for Inuyasha to reach the crest of the small rise east of Kaede's village, where the remains of the mantis hanyou had melted away, then turned to Shippo, who was doing his best not to cry. "Signal Sango and the others." Shippo nodded, wiped away a tear. "Foxfire!" he cried, sending up a blue flare. It arced into the sky.

Sango saw it and nocked an arrow, as did Kaede and Ayane. "Where is he?" the village girl asked. "I don't see him!"

"There!" Sango motioned with the bow. A flash of red marked Inuyasha's passage as he ran, over the rise. He turned slightly and began heading for the edge of the woods; it would put the forest between he and the riders, leaving only the cordon of footsoldiers to get through.

"Mark your targets," Kaede said, because the ronin had seen Inuyasha as well.

Inuyasha felt like he was floating across the grass, even with the added burden of Kagome and Tetsusaiga dragging him down. He had always preferred running and leaping to walking, and he did not even feel the urge to pant. I'm gonna do this.

There was a cry of warning to his left, and he saw a few ronin unsheath their swords and begin running at him. One stepped directly in front of him and yelled at him to stop. When Inuyasha did not even bother to respond, merely baring his fangs at the man, the ronin raised his katana to slice at him when he ran past.

Inuyasha heard the whistle of the arrow a split-second before he felt it pass by his left ear. It caught the ronin squarely in the throat, sending him sprawling backwards in a fountain of blood. Another ronin ran towards Inuyasha, with a mace and chain; he too went down with an arrow in his side.

Keep running, Inuyasha repeated to himself as a mantra. Keep running. He heard men behind him, but dared not look back.

Sango nocked another arrow, cursing her own inexperience; she had fired once, and knew her shot had gone far astray. Kaede and Ayane, on the other hand, were loading and firing once every few seconds. Despite the distance, which grew with every step Inuyasha took, their shots were deadly accurate. Sango watched in amazement as another ronin dropped in mid-stride, one of Ayane's arrows taking him full in the back.

"He's going to make it," Kaede smiled, as she fired again. Sango looked and smiled too: as Miroku had guessed, the ronin perimeter was not as strong to the east, and they were not expecting someone to either attack or escape there. Between Inuyasha's speed and the three women's arrows, the ronin were unable to stop the hanyou.

"Archer," Ayane warned, and Sango spotted him in the half-gloom of the woods, barely able to make out his tan kimono. He had been running after Inuyasha, but now stopped to shoot. Kaede and Ayane were reloading; Sango would have to kill the archer.

She raised the bow and aimed, her fingers quivering on the bowstring next to her ear. Father, guide my hand, she said silently, adjusted slightly, and let the arrow loose. Her eyes watched the white fletchings as they spun, then she lost the arrow. A heartbeat passed, and the archer dropped, his arrow fired harmlessly into the sky.

Now none of them could see Inuyasha. They grabbed their bows and rapidly retreated to the village. They, like the hanyou, were on their own.

Inuyasha saw no more ronin, though one or two arrows sailed over his head and he had felt one hit his back; either it had failed to penetrate the fire-rat cloak or he simply didn't notice the pain. He broke into the clearing and saw the Bone-Eater's Well, but he also saw two horsemen riding out of the woods to his right, each of them with a daikyu, a horseman's bow. The horses were a little faster, and they would probably cut him off from the well. He knew he couldn't stop, so he was going to have to take a chance. He had done it before, once, just to see if he could.

An arrow thrummed past his head; another he felt skim his shoulder. He held his breath for a moment, hoped Miroku was doing some of that praying, then leapt high. The two horsemen were taken by surprise, and reined in, thinking he was leaping to attack them. Inuyasha did not dare move too much in midair, afraid he had gotten his–what did Kagome call them, calculumcations–wrong. He tried to bend over a little, in case he was wrong and they crashed to the earth around the well. Kagome, he thought to himself, this would be a very bad time for you to sit me in your sleep.

Inuyasha, it seemed, was better at geometry than Kagome, because he had timed his leap perfectly. With a whisper of wind ruffling his silver hair and Kagome's black, they dropped squarely into the well.

The horsemen dismounted, bows at the ready, expecting the hanyou to leap out at any second. They had been warned about it, and were nervous. Carefully, they approached the well, and then one of them, summoning up his courage, looked over the top and quickly fired an arrow down the shaft. There was a thunk as it hit the ground, but to their amazement, there was no one there.

They never saw the person walk quietly up behind them on bare, delicate feet, but they did hear the snap of a fan opening.

Inuyasha allowed himself a breath of relief as the Bone Eater's Well disappeared around him, and felt the familiar feeling of near nausea as they seemed to hang suspended for a moment. He hated this part, though he knew Kagome kind of enjoyed it. He glanced down at her. Her hair floated gently and her clothing billowed around her as his own did. If it was not for her painfully pale skin and the dried blood on her lips, she would have looked very peaceful, though he did wish she would wake up and smile at him. Inuyasha would not admit it under torture, but he loved to see Kagome smile. He could only remember Kikyo smiling at him maybe once or twice, but Kagome smiled a lot. He was suddenly seized with the urge to kiss her, right here and now, in the middle of time. Maybe it might bring her around was the excuse he told himself as he bent down, feeling her ragged, blood-scented breath on his lips...

...and then the well reappeared around them, the ground solidifying underneath his bare feet. "Damn," Inuyasha breathed, but then he shoved those romantic thoughts aside. He had smelled death on Kagome as well, and knew time was short. He cursed, knowing what a chance they had taken, they had all taken, for Kagome. Even now, Naraku's hired army might be torching Kaede's village and butchering its inhabitants. He shook off a mental image of Miroku, Sango, and Shippo being crucified; he had to dwell on the present.

Getting out of the well was not something any of them had thought about. In Kagome's time, there was a ladder of sorts, but Inuyasha could not negotiate that with Kagome in his arms, and he did not want to move her any more than he had to. "I did it once, Kagome," he said aloud. "I guess I can do it again." He crouched and leapt. Somehow, he managed not to catch his feet on the lip of the well or smash himself against the roof of the well house, but landed as gently as possible. He heard Kagome moan in her coma. "Just hold on a bit longer," he said, with gentleness that surprised himself. "Almost home."

Inuyasha kicked open the doors to the well house, and a wave of heat and humidity instantly assaulted him, along with the stench of Kagome's time. He ran towards her front door, hoping someone would see him, praying someone was home, because he would have no idea what to do if there wasn't. As much as he wished it would not, fear gripped his heart. He could have kicked at the door until someone arrived to open it, but that would take extra seconds Inuyasha was sure he no longer had. Instead, he kicked the door in.

That brought someone running–Kagome's grandfather, with a broom in his hands, in a pose that would have been ridiculous had it not been for the fact that it looked like he could use it. His eyes narrowed for a moment at Inuyasha, but then he saw the body of his granddaughter in the hanyou's arms. Emotions played across his face–horror, sorrow, and rage.

What might have turned into an ugly situation ended when Inuyasha said two words he had never uttered before: "Help me."

Grandfather Higurashi tossed the broom aside and shouted for help himself. Kagome's mother and her little brother, Souta, came into the room; both screamed at the sight of a bloody, broken daughter and sister. "She's still alive!" Inuyasha shouted. "Please–your healers–you've got to have healers!"

To Inuyasha's surprise, it was the grandfather who took charge. He quickly crossed over to a phone and picked it up, fingers punching in the numbers to the nearest hospital. He spoke rapidly the ward and address of the Higurashi Shrine, and that his granddaughter was very badly hurt. He cupped one hand over the mouthpiece. "What happened?" he hissed in a whisper.

"Youkai–" Inuyasha bit his tongue; of course that wasn't what the old man meant. "Her ribs are broken, um, Kaede-sama thought she might have a punctured lung, bleeding on the inside..." As Grandfather Higurashi relayed Kagome's wounds, Inuyasha looked up at Mrs. Higurashi, who was torn between pulling Kagome out of his grasp, screaming, or simply standing there in shock. "I'm sorry, there was a battle, I couldn't get there in time..."

She seemed not to hear him, reaching out and taking hold of Kagome's hand, wincing at its coldness. "It's not supposed to happen like this," she said, in shock. "It's not supposed to happen like this..."

"Sister, please, sister," Souta sobbed. He looked up at Inuyasha. "She's gonna be okay, right?"

Before he could answer, Grandfather Higurashi went over to them. "The ambulance is on its way. The hospital isn't far. Carry her outside, Inuyasha." The hanyou did as he was told, with Mrs. Higurashi helping. Her tears fell on both Kagome's body and Inuyasha's sleeve as they walked down the gentle slope to the sidewalk.

Inuyasha tensed as he heard a two-tone noise, but it sounded too weird to be any demon he could think of. Deciding it must be something from Kagome's world, he willed himself to relax. He could feel Kagome's heartbeat, but it was getting weaker. "Where the hell are those healers, old man?" he suddenly exploded in rage, unable to keep it inside.

Grandfather Higurashi merely pointed, and it took every ounce of willpower Inuyasha had not to leap backwards. The metal carriages he recognized, but this was making the source of the noise. It screeched to a halt in front of the shrine; almost before it had come to a stop, two men dressed in strange, brightly colored clothing jumped out of the back. One look at Kagome and they rushed over to the Higurashi family and one very tense hanyou. Two more men arrived in a smaller carriage; these men were dressed in some sort of uniform.

"What happened?" the first man asked, looking directly at Inuyasha, who wasn't sure what to say.

Despite her grief, Mrs. Higurashi was thinking fast. "My daughter was hit by a truck on the way home from school!"

The other brightly-dressed man quickly wheeled out a bed on wheels towards them. The first man nodded at Kagome's mother and went to grab Kagome's legs. "Young man–"

"Get away from her!" Inuyasha snapped. "Who the hell are you?"

"He's a healer," Grandfather Higurashi said quickly.

Inuyasha fought down the urge to rend something and helped the healer place Kagome on the bed. Then he was not so gently pushed aside as the men from the big carriage swarmed around Kagome, checking vital signs and looking for injuries. "Inuyasha," the old man prompted him, "what did you Kagome's injuries were?"

"Uh..." He realized the healers were looking at him. "Ah, broken ribs, punctured lung, bleeding inside. She was knocked out, and she's been out since, um..." He trailed off, not really understanding what Kagome's mother had told this man.

"I see. Thank you, young man." He looked Inuyasha up and down, but a call from one of the other men brought his attention back to Kagome. They wheeled her into the back of the metal carriage, then asked Mrs. Higurashi if she wanted to ride with them. She nodded and was helped into the back. Inuyasha tried to follow, but the healer asked, "Are you family?"

"Er, n-no," Inuyasha stammered, but he thought, no, but she's my family...

Mrs. Higurashi opened her mouth to say something, but the man shook his head. "Sorry, nobody but family." He slammed the door in Inuyasha's face, the metal carriage belched a cloud of foul-smelling smoke that drove him back, and it was gone. Had it not been for the steadying hand of Grandfather Higurashi, Inuyasha would have chased it down.

One of the men in uniform walked up to him. "What did you say happened, sir?"

Inuyasha looked helplessly to the old man. "My granddaughter was coming home from school," Grandfather said smoothly, "and apparently was hit by a truck while crossing the street. It was a...what do you call it? A hit and run."

The man's face darkened, and he looked back to Inuyasha. "Did you get a license plate number?" Out of the corner of one eye, he saw the old man's head shake minutely, so he shook his head. "No, I'm sorry, I didn't," Inuyasha said.

"This young man here is a friend of my daughter's, and he saw her get struck. He brought her here immediately," Grandfather Higurashi added.

"You shouldn't have moved her, with those injuries," the man in uniform admonished Inuyasha.

"I didn't know what else to do," the hanyou replied truthfully. "She was hurt, I brought her home–I knew they could take care of her here."

"Hm." The man wrote something down on a scroll. "What was your name, young man?"

"Inuyasha..." Abruptly, Inuyasha realized that, in Kagome's time, there were no class barriers as there was in his time. Kagome had told him that once–whereas Miroku and Sango had only one name, as they were not of the higher classes, the villagers had mistaken Kagome for a lady of higher class when she had introduced herself as Higurashi Kagome. Inspiration struck. "Inuyasha Miroku," he said.

"Strange name. Where are you from?"

"Kyushu," Inuyasha answered, which was true. Since he could tell the man wanted more, he quickly added, "Nagasaki." Nagasaki had been part of his father's holdings; he remembered that much.

"And why are you dressed like..." The man's voice trailed off, unable to adequately describe what he saw. Inuyasha looked down at himself, seeing the worn hakama, his filthy, clawed hands still stained with Kagome's blood, his bare feet. For once, Grandfather Higurashi was at a loss.

"He's a cosplayer!" Souta spoke up, drying his eyes. "You know, sir, one of those otaku types that likes to dress up. He and Kagome met an anime convention."

"Ah," the man said. "Well, that explains the sword." He smiled at Inuyasha. "Don't look glum, Inuyasha-san. You did a very brave thing, but next time just call for help, neh? It's our job to help. Thank you."

"When can I see Kagome?" Inuyasha blurted.

"I can give the three of you a ride down to the hospital," the man said. He glanced at Inuyasha's feet. "But change clothes first."

In the time left behind, a short, beautiful young woman stood over the bodies of the two horsemen. Her beauty was marred by her eyes, which were blood red and pitiless. She snapped her fan shut and looked over the edge of the well, half expecting to see Inuyasha staring up at her. There was nothing at the bottom of the well but dirt, bone fragments, and a solitary arrow.

Kagura sensed rather than saw her hated master materialize behind her. "Where is he?" he asked without preamble.

"I do not know," she replied. "I watched from a distance on my feather–I was unable to intervene. These ronin tried to stop him and failed. Inuyasha leapt down this well, but he's gone."

"And Kagome?"

"She was with him. In his arms. She looked distinctly...unhealthy."

"Good. It seems these ronin are worth something after all, or perhaps it was the centipede." She turned as the figure, unseen underneath his baboon-fur pelt, glided forward and peered over the edge of the well. "Interesting. This well looks old and dry, but it reeks of magic. Can you not feel it, Kagura? No, I suppose you can't," he answered before she could reply. "It must be a magical portal."

"One of the ronin fired an arrow into it." Kagura sighed, knowing what her master would command her to do. To spite him, she swung her legs awkwardly over the well's lip, constrained by her kimono, and jumped downwards, opening her fan in case an enraged hanyou should burst from the dirt below. Carried by the winds, she alighted gently on the dirt floor of the well, but other than being irritatingly damp on her feet, nothing happened. She sighed and stamped her feet, but still there was nothing. She looked up at her master questioningly "It must open only for hanyou and miko," he smirked.

"What do you wish me to do, my lord? There could be a secret passage. Or perhaps you'd like me to dig?"

He allowed himself a smirk, if only for the cold expression on Kagura's face. "I wouldn't wish to ruin your delicate complexion, Kagura. No. Come back up." She floated upwards, to find a gigantic demon standing there. He was dressed in a fur loincloth and skins across his shoulders, carried a giant club, and his expression was of someone who was good at killing and enjoyed it. Kagura's eyes narrowed.

"Dear Kagura, meet Totoroki," her master said. "Admittedly, not as smart or as fair as you, but perfect for the job I require." He turned to Totoroki. "Totoroki-san, fill in the well and guard it with your life. I will have you brought food and drink."

"Sake," Totoroki rumbled.

"Of course. The village's best."

"And a maiden!"

An eyebrow lifted unseen behind the baboon mask. "Must she be a maiden?"

Totoroki grinned savagely. "Not necessarily."

"I will try and fill your request." The smirk turned lethal. "As a matter of fact, I know of someone who would be perfect, though you would have to tame her a little. She's a demon exterminator."

"All the better. I love it when they struggle." Totoroki laughed. "It makes things more entertaining." Kagura tried not to be sick as the demon described in horribly vulgar terms what he intended to do.

"As you will, Totoroki. But I want the well filled in by sunset."

"Your servant, master Naraku."

Naraku nodded. "You see, Kagura?" he said quietly as Totoroki set down the club and began digging the ground around the well. "Not every demon requires a Shikon shard to be controlled. Or one's heart in my hand." Her chest tightened just perceptibly. "Now then...let's see about the village, neh? Our ronin have informed their general–and his trusted advisor Naraku–that the peasants surrendered." Naraku laughed. "I wonder if our favorite monk and Kohaku's dear beloved sister are among them?"